


Miyuki Magica

by AffableAinya



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2020-10-04 03:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20464409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AffableAinya/pseuds/AffableAinya
Summary: Set in the magical world of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, yet featuring only original characters; 'Miyuki Magica' follows a young girl's journey as she discovers the truth about her world, of magic, and what it means to love.  Destiny awaits in this short tale of heartbreak, betrayal, and tragedy!





	1. Beginnings

The shrill sound of the alarm woke Miyuki with a start. The young girl shot up and hit the back of her head against the concrete wall. Letting out a short shout before launching her hand to caress the wound, the girl looked around to get her bearings.

She found herself on the border of a large cafeteria style room.Tables littered the area as hundreds of kids her age chit-chatted and filled the room with their echoing voices.How anyone was able to fall asleep in such an area was nothing short of a miracle.

Miyuki sighed and ran her hand through her long dark hair before stretching with a yawn.She blinked a few times to adjust her vision, then rubbed her eyes before looking down at the table before her.Nothing sat on the table except for her small bento box, a drink, her phone,and a few books.She moved one of the books off to the side and opened it slowly.

_‘Math.I hate math.’_She thought to herself as she sighed once more.Not incredibly intellectually gifted, Miyuki much preferred athletics, for she found herself to be quite good at them.Plus any sort of excuse to get outside and run around in the fresh air was always up to her liking.

The girl yawned yet again and rubbed her temples.She knew why she was so tired.She had been up late the night before.And the night before that.And the night before that…Though she wasn’t studying like a normal school-girl would have been doing.

No, Miyuki certainly was not a normal girl.She was a magical girl.A gifted young female tasked with riding the world of it’s curses that manifested themselves as witches.This was her life for the past few years, and this would certainly continue to be her life.

She looked down at the small ring on her finger and smiled.The ring would look like nothing out of the ordinary to anyone who saw it, but to her, she knew it was her soul gem.Upon contracting with Kyubey, a magical white creature with the power to grant wishes, her soul gem was formed.But when she didn’t need to actively use it, the gem would transform into a small ring for safekeeping.

Catching herself daydreaming, the girl looked at the time on her phone.1:15 PM. _‘Lunch is about over.’ _

Quickly finishing off whatever was left of her drink, she stored her bento box back into her book bag and slid the books in, spine down, as always.Picking up her phone and being sure that the alarm was turned off and not on snooze, the girl headed off down the hallway of Mitakihara Middle School.

Aside from being a magical girl, Miyuki wouldn’t appear to stand out by any means.Today she was wearing the same school uniform that everyone else at Mitakihara Middle School would wear, her book bag wasn’t adorned with too many accessories, and her typical long dark hair was the standard of most Japanese girls her age.

While most of the girls her age wanted to crowd around, huddle up and talk about the latest Idol gossip, or spread rumors about the haunted wing in the school, or even worse, talk about boys; Miyuki preferred to be alone.Spending quality time with her nose in a book, or out running, she never had time to make a lot of friends.

In as quiet and reserved as she was, it was a surprise that she had any friends at all.Most of the girls avoided her as her secluded behaviors tend to make her appear stand-offish.However, there were the occasional odd girl or two who would make conversation with her, and of those few, a couple would remain her friends.

None of which were closer than her best friend, Eiko Suzumoya.Eiko had been her friend for as long as Miyuki could remember.As long as she had lived here, Eiko had always been there for her.Not as athletic as Miyuki, but definitely a challenge for her in terms of book-smarts, the two had became nearly instant friends when they met; all, of course, due to Eiko’s out going personality and not wanting to take no for an answer from Miyuki.

Suddenly, Miyuki’s thoughts were interrupted as her phone vibrated in her pocket.She looked down and laughed to herself.It was a single text message from Eiko, asking what she was doing after school that day.Of course, Miyuki didn’t have any plans, aside from possibly hunting a couple witches, but that could always wait.

Quickly sending off a text message in response, the girl slid the phone back into her pocket, wondering what all Eiko had planned for the evening.With Eiko’s out going personality, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to bring along a couple other friends to hang out.Though she would always keep the number to a safe minimum, out of fear that Miyuki wouldn’t show.

Eiko would occasionally pull a fast one on her though.Miyuki would never forget that one time she tried to set her up with a date without her knowing it beforehand.It was a disastrous date, and would have split the friendship had it been anyone other than Eiko who set it up.

Though the two of them certainly had their own share of arguments and frustrations, Miyuki always felt as though she could be honest and open with Eiko.She told her everything.Well, except for being a Magical Girl.That was something she would never tell anyone, for it was her burden to bear alone.

“Oh!Excuse me, Sensei!” Miyuki shouted with a bow as she suddenly stopped herself short from running into the class teacher.She had been so involved in her thoughts that she didn’t realize that she had already made it to class, and that as soon as she was entering, her teacher was on her way out.

“No, no!Pardon me!I just need to step out for something really quickly, please, go ahead and take your seat.Classes will resume as soon as I return.”The teacher said politely as she moseyed her way around Miyuki and down the hallway.

The young girl shook her head in embarrassment then moved across the room to take her seat.Near the back, against the window.The classic seat.She had often joked that she would be the main character of an anime one day, and that there would be a transfer student she would fall in love with and—

The girl laughed and blushed at her own thoughts.She might be a magical girl, but things like that only happen in anime or manga.Not real life.Not her life.Her’s certainly wasn’t ever going to be all fun and roses like her dreams.

She felt her phone vibrate once more, and she chanced a peek as other students began to fill the room.Reading the reply from Eiko brought a smile to her face.“Bowling sounds like a blast!”She typed back.It had been a while since she had gone bowling, and the idea of going to the lanes with Eiko perked her up quite a bit.

The rest of the day went by in a blur of motion.The teacher came in, they finished up a few lessons, there was a math test that Miyuki had forgotten about—but she felt confident on, none-the-less—and before she knew it, the chimes were ringing.Signifying the end of yet another day in the life of a regular school girl.

And as Miyuki began to pack her bag once more after the long day, the excited voices of hurried students around her filling her with gleeful anxiousness as the hour for bowling drew even nearer; there was an extra spring in her step as she traveled down the hallways.Passing all the various clubrooms that she hadn’t bothered joining, the students who stayed behind to help clean up the halls, and a few of her acquaintances with a wave.

Reaching the doors to the school, Miyuki opened them quickly and took in a deep, long breath of the fresh flowing fragrance of the air.Holding her breath as long as she could, she exhaled before slowly descending down the great stone staircase in front of the school.The breeze felt wonderful that evening, and the sun felt _just_ right on her skin.Had she not agreed to meet up with Eiko, she certainly would have enjoyed a nice little nap under the trees in the courtyard.

But, alas, it was bowling day!

Miyuki took one last breath of the fresh air before dashing off down the streets towards the lanes.She knew it would be a little bit of a walk, and likely wouldn’t arrive for a half hour or so, but the sun and the sky would accompany her on her little voyage.

She passed a number of cafe’s, ramen shops, a couple of game stores—one of which was boasting the new video game that had just come out, but she didn’t care to stop and watch for more info.Even the cafe’ that was her usual stop after school would be missing her today.

After jogging the last few miles, the girl eventually made her way up to the bowling alley.She stopped outside the door for a moment to catch her breath and check her phone for the time.She was a couple minutes late, but that didn’t bother her this time.

Once she opened the door, she was immediately assaulted by the loud music, and laser lights that flashed and blinked their way across the room.Waiting for her eyes to adjust, she looked up and saw Eiko with a few other girls.She recognized Eiko instantly, as she was the only one giddy enough to be doing a hop/skip in the middle of the lounge as she retold a story to one of her friends.

“Konnichiwa!”Miyuki said as she walked up.“How is everyone today?”

“Miyu!”Eiko shouted as she turned around and threw her arms around her friend.“I’m so glad you could make it!”

Miyuki laughed as she hugged her friend back.“Of course I made it!Wasn’t going to miss this for the world.Not when my record is on the line.”

“Oh-hoo!You think it’ll stand against me tonight!?I’ve been practicing for weeks just to topple you down and take the crown!”Eiko shouted above the loud music.

“Bring it on then!Looser buys snacks!”Miyuki shouted back as she tossed her book bag onto one of the chairs.

“Ahh!Hahahaaa!”Eiko squealed as she hopped up and down.“Oh!Oh!Oh!Miyu I don’t know if you’ve met everyone yet or not.”The girl took a few steps to the side and motioned towards the other girls who were standing around and chatting.“This is Aya, Hideko, Kairi, Mikka, and Yuki!” 

“Konnichiwa!”  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

The girls offered their greetings to one another in turn as Eiko introduced everyone to Miyuki, who quickly followed suit with a polite bow to boot.

“Alright!Ready to game on!?”Eiko shouted as she leapt up into the air with a cheer.

“Only if you’re ready to loose!”Miyuki’s competitive side was coming out as she hopped over to the lane where the girls had already checked in.

After quickly swapping out her shoes for the bowling lane’s shoes, the girl checked in at the console, selecting the right kanji for her name to display properly on the screen, then casually walked over to lift a few of the balls to get her fit just right.

“Miyuki!It’s your turn!”A voice shouted from behind.

“Alright, let’s do this!”Miyuki taunted as she walked up to the lane, took a pose, then made sure to level her legs and feet just right before taking a quick step forward and rolling the ball down the lane as fast as she could!Giving the ever slightest of twists from her wrist to correct the ball’s motion.

The sound of pins colliding into each other down the alley was enough to warrant a loud cheer from everyone in the lane, except for Eiko who booed, and taunted back.

“Poor way to start the game, girl!You’ve done better!”

“I’m just getting warmed up!I haven’t had my practice time like you yet!”

“That’s what they all say!”Eiko shouted back with a laugh before standing up to grab one of the balls herself as she waited for Miyuki to make her second throw.

Miyuki snickered, prepped one more time before tossing her ball—right in between the spares.She sighed with mock-frustration, then went to sit down next to one of the girls as Eiko shouted something nonsensical about destroying the record this time.

“So how long have you been bowling?”A voice asked, instantly jarring Miyuki’s attention from Eiko’s pouty throw over to the girl next to her, recognizing her as the girl called Aya.

“Off and on for a while.My father used to bring me to the lanes a lot.”Miyuki smiled as she rested her arm on the back of the seat.

“He must’ve been a good bowler and teacher for you to have become as good as Eiko claims you to be.”Aya said with a smile.

“Well, he certainly was something.”Miyuki said with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

“Oh, god, no, gomen, gomen, I didn’t mean—“

“No, no, really, it’s okay!”Miyuki held up her hands.“Honestly, everything’s fine.It’s not what you think.”

“So, your father isn’t…?”Aya couldn’t finish her sentence.

“No, he’s alive.He just works a lot to support me and my sister, so we don’t get to enjoy times like this together as much anymore.”Miyuki said, reminiscing of all the good times she used to spend with her father.Back before everything happened that led to her becoming a magical girl.

“I won’t ask then.Family matters and all.”Aya said with a light bow of apology.“Let’s change the subject, then, shall we?How about—”

“AYA! IT’S YOUR TURN!”Eiko shouted loud enough to where several lanes down a few people looked over to see what the fuss was about—even with all the music blaring, Eiko’s voice could certainly travel.

“R—Right!”The girl got up and smiled, “Wish me luck!”

“Ganbatte~!”Miyuki shouted as she cheered Aya on with the others.

“She asked about your dad, didn’t she?”Eiko said as she slumped down in the seat next to Miyuki.

“Yup.”Miyuki said as she watched Aya struggle to lift one of the balls, requiring Mikka to help her carry it to the lane for her as the others giggled behind them.

“I know your family is kind of a touchy subject, I told them before hand not to ask about—“

“No, really, it’s fine Eiko.”Miyuki said with a smile as Aya’s ball went straight into the gutter.“I’ve told you everything there is to know, and it’s not something that I’m trying to hide.If I don’t want to talk about something, I’ll just say so myself.”

Eiko nodded as she turned her attention back to Aya who seemed to be in tears that she failed so badly, just in time for Mikka to remind her she gets a second chance, prompting an enigmatic squeal from the girl.

“These kids, they’re so funny, ya know?”Eiko laughed to herself.“Most of them come from troubled pasts too.”

“Goddamn it, Eiko!”Miyuki groaned.“Was that your play all along?”

“Woah, woah!Easy there!And no, not at all!”The girl laughed at Miyuki’s apparent frustration.“Actually sorta, but not in the way that you think.”Eiko stopped laughing long enough to grow a serious face before continuing.“A couple of these girls have a really troubled home life.And I mean _really_ troubled.So the time we’re spending here together helps them get over their issues in a way.Or at least it helps show them that life isn't all that bad, right?”

She paused for a moment as Aya tossed her second ball into the neighboring lane—successfully scoring yet another gutter and prompting shouts from the other players as the rest of the girls just laughed at poor Aya’s panic.  
“Ya know, I just figured that someone who’s been through a lot could help relate to them, and just…Be there for them when no one else is, if that makes any sense?”Eiko said as she turned back to look at her friend.

Miyuki sighed._‘I should have known Eiko had a game she was playing here.’_But though she wanted to be frustrated at her, she knew that Eiko had a point.She really had been through a lot in her life, and maybe she could help to be a listening ear if any of these girls wanted to talk.

“Just like a magical girl.Being there for the people.”Miyuki caught herself saying out loud.She shook her head and smiled.Maybe, today, instead of fighting a witch to dispel grief and suffering for others, she could spend time with people and just enjoy life.And in doing so, help someone else get through a rough time in their life. 

Much like how her sister was there for her.

How she was always there for her. 

Through everything that had happened in her life, good and ill, Miyuki was always able to count on that one person to be there…


	2. Two Sisters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the darker chapters of this story, Two Sisters deals with emotional abuse, suicide, and the death of a loved one.

Miyuki awoke with a start.A loud clap of thunder rocked the apartment building, causing the lights to flicker in and out for a brief moment.

The girl sat up, causing the small blanket that had been covering her sleeping frame to slide off and onto the floor of the living room.She looked around for a second before she heard a voice chuckle a few feet away from her.

“Nasty little storm, isn’t it?”

Looking up, Miyuki saw the form of her sister, sitting across the dimly lit room on the adjacent couch.A small cup of warm tea resting gently in her hands.And an equally warm smile resting on her face, puffing her cute cheeks out slightly.

“Y-yeah, just a bit.”Miyuki said as she rubbed her face.

“The weather forecast said that it would rain all night.With a, and I quote, ‘low to no chance of thunderstorms.’”Her voice betrayed her humor as she raised a hand to make air quotes.

Miyuki laughed and shook her head.“Ah, you know you can never trust the weather forecast.”

Her sister smirked and nodded as she took another sip of her tea.“Indeed.”

Silence fell between the two of them as they listened quietly to the plinking of the water droplets, and the occasional rumble of thunder.Though the lights would flicker occasionally, Miyuki found herself slowly drawn into the lulling sounds of the storm.The rain was all too soothing and the thunder demanded one to be quiet and listen carefully.

As she found herself slowly drifting off, her thoughts and memories went back to a previous storm the two of them had to weather together.A storm, several years ago, much like this one—only instead of the quiet peacefulness of resting at home, the two faced a much different reality back then…

~~~*~~~*~~~

The rain was coming down at a steady pace and had washed the neighborhood that day, slowing down to a short drizzle as the school bus pulled slowly to a stop, signifying the end of a day’s journey for these two girls.

Miyuki and Chiyoko hopped out and waited for the bus to drive off before crossing the street.There was a low rumble of thunder off in the distance as the two walked along in silence.Neither saying a word to the other, neither wanting to, out of fear of having the same discussion as always.

Instead, Chiyoko only held onto Miyuki’s hand as tightly as she could, keeping her close as the two walked down the sidewalk; her way of saying that she would always hold onto her.Reassuring Miyuki that things were going to be okay.

The streets were always quiet at this time of day, though the rain only made it seem even quieter.There was a calming and yet eerie lull to the drizzle as each droplet hit the concrete sidewalk.

After walking for a few minutes, the two finally made it home.Chiyoko walked up to the front door and pulled out her keys.Reaching for the doorknob, the girl unlocked the door.Or, she would have, if the door hadn’t already been unlocked.Puzzled, Chiyoko tilted her head as her sister spoke up behind her.

“What is it?”Miyuki asked as she looked up at her sister, sensing something was wrong.

“Nothing, I’m sure it’s fine.We probably just forgot to lock the door on our way out this morning.”Chiyoko said with a small smile as she proceeded to open the door and then walk into the foyer.Stepping up to the small stair where they would leave their shoes before entering the house, the girl noticed there was an extra pair of shoes there aside from her’s and her sister’s.

“Is… Is Mom home…?”Miyuki asked as she looked over at the shoes—the same ones her mother would wear to work every day, an odd sight given that their mother always worked late hours and typically wouldn’t arrive home until she had completely intoxicated herself.  
“She probably just got off work early.”Chiyoko quickly took off her shoes and stepped into the hallway while shouting as she walked past her room and went to check the other bedrooms.

“Mom?Mom!”

Not waiting to hear if anyone responded to her sister, Miyuki slowly took off her shoes and stepped up into the house.She looked around briefly and couldn’t see any signs of her mother being there.Plus there were no sounds at all aside from Chiyoko walking back down the hallway.Although, there was an odd smell that she couldn’t quite place.  
“Do you smell that?”Miyuki said as she wrinkled her nose.

“Smell what?”Chiyoko asked, as she made her way back to Miyuki’s side.

“It smells like copper.”

“Copper…?”The older sister held onto Miyuki’s shoulders and looked around.She sniffed the air a couple times to try and locate the smell, her brows furrowed as she scratched at her head. 

“Hold on, wait here.”Slowly, she let go of Miyuki and began walking towards the living room.

And that’s when she screamed.

The shriek was so loud it startled Miyuki, knocking her backwards as she held her hands to her ears.She looked up in a panic and saw that her sister had fallen down to her knees.A look of pure horror on her face as she shook her head.

“Nee-san?”Miyuki asked quietly as she slowly walked forwards, keeping her hands before her as if to ward off any oncoming threat.

“No!Miyuki, don’t come any closer!Stay where you are!”Chiyoko shouted through a gasped breath as she turned so quickly that she fell flat on the ground.She pushed herself back up only to be greeted with the sight of Miyuki entering the living room.

The young girl’s eyes went wide in shock as she looked at the scene.There was blood.All over the place.Splatters had showered the room as much as the rain had showered the ground outside.Glops of blood still slowly poured down the walls, as other splotches bathed the TV, the stand, the table, the lamps. 

Though what made the scene even more unsettling was the body that lay sprawled out over the table in the center of the room.

“O-Okaasan..?”Miyuki stuttered as she slowly stumbled forward, falling forward into a puddle of blood.The young girl looked down at her drenched hands and retched.

“Miyuki!”She heard her sister scream from behind her before everything went black.

~~~*~~~*~~~

“Well it sounds like you certainly had a fun night.”Chiyoko’s voice jerked Miyuki back to the present as she struggled to shake her memories.

“Y—yeah…I suppose I did.”The young girl said as she rubbed her temples.“We went bowling.Eiko said she’d beat me this time, and I told her that loser would buy everyone’s snacks.”

“Let me guess.You ended up buying the food?”The sister smirked as she sipped her tea.

“No!I mean…Well, kinda.But only because Eiko forgot her money at home, so I was left with the bill.”Miyuki shot back defensively.

“Hahaha!That sounds like Eiko alright!God, what did I tell you about that girl?She’s only going to get you into trouble one of these days.”Chiyoko laughed and shook her head.“But she’s got a great heart.You’ve made a solid friend there, I’ve got to admit I’m a little surprised.”

“Oh shut up…”Miyuki mumbled as she curled her legs in.

“Ah, you’re too cute.”There was that smirk again.

The two grew silent once more as a distant look grew on Miyuki’s face.The rain outside once again growing louder as the storm continued.

“Is dad home yet?”The girl asked suddenly, a low rumble resonated through the air outside.

“Mmhm.”Came the near silent reply, almost in sync with the rumble of the storm.“He walked in a little bit after you passed out on the couch.Made me go get a blanket for you and everything!…You’re welcome, by the way.”

“Why would I thank you for showing common courtesy?”Miyuki answered Chiyoko’s sarcasm with salt.

“Oh-ho!We’ve got a live one!”Chiyoko laughed.“Seriously, sometimes you’re just too much for me.”She smiled endearingly at her younger sister, who couldn’t help but smile back.

Miyuki looked up at the ceiling as a flash of lighting briefly illuminated the room.She always treasured the moments she spent with her sister.Moments like these where the two could just sit alone and enjoy life together.It was something that she would never take for granted.

A peaceful apartment, a loving father, and an adoring sister—Miyuki’s life certainly wasn’t always this way.She remembered a time not too long ago when things were vastly different.There was no life, no energy in anyone’s voice.No excitement or fun, or even love.All that could be seen or heard was stress.Fighting.Fear.Anxiety.Depression.

Those days were dark days.Back before their father came back for them.Back before they lived alone as sisters.Back when it was just them…and their mother…

~~~*~~~*~~~

“Do you really think I chose this life?!As if I was given a choice?!As if I had any say in anything!?”

“Well what about me?!You certainly aren’t doing me any favors!”

“Favors!?You want to bring up favors now!?Who the hell do you think wiped your butt when you were little!?Who the hell do you think raised you!?And your damn sister for that matter!”

The voices screamed from down the hall.The bitter resentment was so thick in the air that it was nearly suffocating to the little girl who had hidden herself in her room.Covered under several thick blankets, scrunched up against the far wall with her legs tucked in under her chin and her arms wrapped tightly around them, the nine year old girl only prayed for silence.But the harder she would pray, the more violent the fighting would become.

Every night, ever since her father disappeared when she was much younger, would always be the same.Her mother would go out to work early in the morning, then come back stone hammered drunk.Screaming and yelling would ensue, and Miyuki would lock herself in her room and hide under her blanket, the relaxing red and black pattern covering her small body effortlessly.

She used to cry.She would cry every time she heard her mother scream.Every time she heard her sister scream back.And every time her mother screamed after that.Every time.Every night.But now, she had no tears left.All the little girl ever could do was wait to hear the front door open, then run off to her room—the only place that gave her a sense of security anymore.

“If you’re going to shove that in my face, then the least you can do is start acting like a mother!Get off your ass and be a mom for once!_My mom_!”Chiyoko screamed back.At only thirteen, there wasn’t much she could do, but ever since their father left, she felt as if it were her personal responsibility to be sure that Miyuki was properly taken care of.And protected.

“You don’t think I’m trying!?Ever since that bastard of a man left all I’ve done is work my ass off for the two of you, and I come home to this shit every night!”Their mother screamed back, growing tired of having the same fight on a nightly basis.

“Well he never came home drunk and started screaming at us!You’re the one that ran him away!It’s your own damn fault!”

Miyuki only bit her lip and waited.Waited for the fighting to end, like she always would.But it never did.At least not in any way that counted.The two would consistently fight, screaming and yelling and throwing insults and threats at each other throughout the night until one or the other stormed off to their room—slamming the door shut as loudly as they could.

That’s how it always would end.And that’s how Miyuki expected it to end tonight.Only this time, the fight seemed to be longer than the other nights.She looked down at the little watch strapped around her wrist.It read three in the morning.Her mother had been home for two hours already.Two long hours of screaming.Two long hours of torturous anticipation.

The girl rubbed her eyes.She longed for sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come to her.Her fear of her mother kept her awake as the adrenaline coursed through her veins.Instead, she only rubbed her eyes once more and hugged herself even tighter.Waiting…Waiting…Waiting…

“You think I ran that shitbag off!?I’ll tell you what happened, he ran off when he realized how much of a pain in the ass you were!”

“That’s a lie!You always say the same goddamn lie about him!I don’t believe it!My father would never just leave us like that, you’re the one that drove him off!”

“You think that worthless bag of flesh was this fine upstanding person!?You think he would be any different!?Wait!Wait!Hahaha!Don’t tell me you think he actually LOVED you!”

“…”

“You idiot!You’re the reason your father left, baka!”She spat at Chiyoko.“If he had any sense of love or loyalty to you, or your whiny bitch of a sister, then he wouldn’t have left!The goddamn bastard better be DEAD!”

There was a loud slam and the sound of glass shattering, causing Miyuki to shout a little in her room—quickly covering her mouth in fear that she had been heard.Her heart skipped a beat as silence overtook the house.A slow ringing in her ears grew louder and louder until a voice finally spoke up.

“No.You’re wrong, mother.I refuse to believe he left because of me.Or Miyuki.And from the way you consistently act every night, if you were anything like this during your marriage to him, is it any wonder he left?Hell, I would’ve dumped you like the filth you are a long time ago!”

“Why you…Ignorant little…!”There was a pause as Miyuki strained her ears to hear anything for a moment before her mother’s voice broke through.“You know what, I’m done.If that’s really how things are, if that’s really how it is, then so be it.”

The voice was calm.Too calm.Unnervingly calm.It sent a shiver down the girl’s spine as she stayed as silent as she could inside her room—inwardly screaming as loud as she could, dying for all of this to stop.For all of this to finally come to an end.

“Yes.Then so be it.”Miyuki could hear Chiyoko say quietly.Though her voice was as firm as ever.

“If you think what I do is so easy…If you think you can do it better, then why don’t you try it?”

Her mother’s voice was no longer full of hatred and rage.Instead, it was breaking with emotion as she seemed to struggle to find the right words.Miyuki looked up and into the darkness of her room, fear gripping her heart as she heard her mother continue.

“If you would rather…If you would rather do this alone…Then maybe I’ll just grant you your wish…”

“M-mother…?”Miyuki heard her sister say, her voice betraying her worry.“Where are you going?”

“Off to bed…The two of you have school in the morning, you should get some rest…”

Footsteps echoed down the hallway and Miyuki curled back up into a ball as she heard them stop right outside her door.She prayed her mother wouldn’t try to open the door—she didn’t want to see her, she didn’t want to be confronted by her, she only wanted to be alone.

“Miyuki…!I…”Her mother broke and began sobbing.“I’m sorry…I’m sorry you had to hear any of that…It’ll be different from now on, I promise…I promise…”The voice finished in a hushed tone and then disappeared, followed by footsteps and then a simple door shut.

Then silence.

The young girl sat there in the dark, waiting for her nerves to calm.Waiting for the stillness of the night to overtake her and grant her sleep.But it never came.It never would.Miyuki would only hug herself tighter and tighter as she stared off into the darkness, waiting for the sun to rise so she could start the day over again.

Though suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Miyuki?Its me, Chiyoko.Can you let me in?”The voice of her sister whispered from the other side of the door.

The young girl crawled on all fours over to the door and unlocked it.Without even waiting for the door to open all the way, the elder sister enveloped her in a tight hug, wrapping her arms around her sister and blanket alike. 

And the two wept.

They cried for what felt like hours as Miyuki clung tightly to her older sister, knowing that no matter what, she could always count on her.She could always rely on her to be there for her.

~~~*~~~*~~~

“Miyuki?Miyuki?Did you fall asleep again?”Chiyoko asked as she brushed aside a lock of hair from her younger sister’s face.

“Silly thing…”The older sister said to herself as she shook her head.“Always falling asleep.”She smiled as she bent over and grabbed the blanket, it’s red and black patterns stretching across it’s length as she covered her younger sister with it once more.

“Get some rest, angel face.”


End file.
